


Out of Time

by Fanofeverything101



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Hurt Mac, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Non-Graphic Torture, Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanofeverything101/pseuds/Fanofeverything101
Summary: A mission gone wrong lands Jack in the hospital and Mac kidnapped. Now Jack, though injured, is determined to find his partner and bring him home. Mac on the other hand, has no way out, and no idea if anyone will get to him in time, he also has no clue if Jack is still alive.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	1. Too Slow

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before Patty is shown to be the mole and before Bozer joins the team, but he is aware of what Mac, Jack and Riley actually do.

Time, the one thing everyone wanted more of, yet couldn’t be bought, and was never on your side. Finding the terrorist group’s, known as Nex Cito, the Death Call, hideout proved to be more difficult than they had originally thought. By the time they got to the New York subway station, it was already rush hour and there was less than three minutes on the timer attached to the bomb that was in an abandoned backpack under a bench.

As the other Phoenix agents tried to clear the area, Mac quickly realized that he didn’t have enough time to figure out what type of bomb it was and disable it. Instead, the young man took off his jacket, wrapped it around the explosive and looked around for a safe place to put it where it would cause the least amount of damage.

Outside down a drain would probably be the best option, but with the crowd clogging up the staircases, he wouldn’t get out and away from them in time. Mac turned his head, quickly spotting the bathrooms to the right. Water could help diffuse it, and the walls surrounding it would help contain it. It was the best option Mac could find in the time he had.

Unfortunately, things are never that easy. The terrorists that had placed the bomb in the station in the first place were still there, and were not happy that their plans were interrupted. There were at least five of them, and all were armed. Bullets started flying as the panicking people started screaming, trying even harder now to get out of the danger zone.

Jack, who had been with the agent the entire time, started laying cover fire, making sure his friend did not get hit by any stray bullets. It was so loud, and with all the scrambling people trying to hide, it made Mac feel very claustrophobic. It also made getting to the bathroom that much harder.

When Mac threw the bomb into the room, the was only ten seconds on the clock. Jack grabbed Mac by his shirt collar and shoved him to the ground as the bomb went off.

They didn’t know that is was a shrapnel bomb. The explosion pushed the door open as the fragments of the bomb went soaring in the air. The force pushed Jack to the cement floor as two pieces of metal stabbed him in the back, right in his left shoulder blade.

“Jack!” Mac called out, seeing his best friend fall. Even though he yelled, he barely heard his own voice over the ringing in his ears. Mac got to his knees and crawled over to the soldier, not even feeling the fragments of the bomb laying on the floor tear his pants or cut his knees.

He placed his fingers on Jack’s neck and waiting for the thump of his pulse. It was there, he was still alive. That relief though quickly died when Mac looked up and saw that the five terrorist group members were still there, and were getting to their feet. Mac, not seeing any other way to protect Jack or himself, grabbed Jack’s gun and started firing, purposely aiming at their legs.

They ducked for cover, and started firing back, but both Mac, and his enemies ran out of ammo. When that happened, Mac knew that unless more Phoenix agents showed up, he was screwed. It was five against one, and from the way they started to approach the blonde, they knew that too.

Mac stood up, and threw a punch to the closest threat. However, the agent was still very disorientated from the explosion and the terrorist immediately caught it and twisted Mac’s arm behind his back. And before Mac could do anything about it, the hot tips of a Taser was pressed against his neck. With a small scream of pain, Mac fell limp against his captor and his vision went black.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Riley ran through the hospital hallway, roughly shoving against everyone who was in her way until she reached the door to the surgery room. She looked into the window, and saw Jack’s limp body on his side on the table, gas mask on his face, IV in his hand, and covered hi bruises.

“Riley?” The hacker turned to see Patricia Thornton behind her, “He’s going to be okay. The shrapnel didn’t go very deep. He’ll have to wear a sling for a few weeks, but he’ll be fine.”

“What about Mac? Any sign of him?” Riley asked. Now that she knew that Jack was going to be okay, her worry switched from him, to her other partner. Patricia shook her head, her own eyes revealing that she was also worried about the man they all considered a friend.

“We have no idea where he is. By the time our agents could get back down into the subway, he was gone, along with the five Nex Cito members that were down there.” The boss explained, coming over to the young girl, and put her hand on her shoulder, offering the hacker some comfort.

“We have to find him.”

“We will Riley, we will.” Patricia’s voice left no room for argument.


	2. Terrible Truths

Mac opened his eyes to darkness. He was lying on what felt like a thin layer of some sort of carpet, and it felt like he was moving. All it took was one bump that made his body connect with something right above him to conclude that he was in the trunk of a vehicle, and the memories came flooding back like a tidal wave. The bomb, the explosion, and Jack. Was he okay? Was he even alive? The car hitting another bump told Mac though he had bigger problems. If he wanted to find out if Jack was okay, he had to get out of danger first.

All it took was one attempt to move to reveal to the agent that his hands were cuffed behind his back. Mac tried to open his mouth, only discover the piece of tape covering his mouth. He tried to move around the very limited amount of space to find something he could pick the lock with, but the vehicle suddenly pulled to a stop.

Mac could hear footsteps coming towards him. The trunk opened and he could see it was now night, and there were two people looking down at him, but he couldn’t see their faces. The men reached down, grabbed his arms, and pulled him out of the trunk.

He tried to stand up, walk on his own two feet, but the men were walking too fast that they just ended up dragging their captive. Mac looked up, hoping he could at least see where he was. All Mac could make out though in the dark was trees, and what looked like to be an abandoned building.

His captors dragged him inside. The entire place seemed empty, except for one area that had an old TV, a few couches and a small table filled with beer bottles. They pulled him away from the area to the right and opened a huge metal door.

Inside was a chair and a table. Before Mac could do anything, he was pushed into the seat. One of the men held him in place while the other grabbed some rope and tied him to the back of the chair.

Mac’s attention was drawn back to the door when he heard someone else enter the room. Another man, much larger and more muscular than the other two stood in the doorway, slipping a pair of brass knuckles onto his hand.

“Hello, agent. I have a few questions for you.” The third man told him, a sick grin on his face. The only thought that ran through Mac’s mind was _I am so screwed_.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

It was the beeping that woke Jack up from his sleep. He tried to lift his arm to hit his alarm, only to find he couldn’t move it. In fact, when he tried, a flare of pain overtook him, and he groaned in response.

“Jack?” The soldier slowly opened his eyes to see a disheveled Riley sitting beside his bed, looking exhausted and worried. That was when it clicked in Jack’s mind that he was not at home. He looked around the room, white walls, scratchy sheets, heart monitor beeping, IV in his hand, and concluded he was in the hospital.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked as he tried to sit up. That was not a very smart move on his part as the pain from before shot down his arm and side again. The soldier slowly laid back down, and looked back at Riley. The expression she had on her face was starting to scare him. Oh yes, something was definitely wrong.

“Riley, what happened?” Jack asked slowly, but seriously.

“You don’t remember?” Riley tried to clarify, wondering if the concussion the doctor said he had was bad enough to cause memory loss. It only took a few moments though for the memories of the explosion to resurface in Jack’s mind.

“Where’s Mac? Is he okay?” Jack asked so fast, not even giving Riley time to answer the first question.

“We don’t know Jack.” Riley told him, her shaky voice betraying the fear and helplessness she had been feeling ever since the explosion occured.

“What do you mean ‘we don’t know’? Where is he?”

“They took him Jack. The Nex Cito members took him. Pretty sure they left through one of the subway tunnels. We don’t know which one or how they got out because the explosion destroyed all the cameras. He’s just gone.”


	3. Not Enough

“What’ve you got Riley?” Patricia Thornton asked, coming over to the young hacker who was sitting by her computer. Riley put the images she was seeing her computer screen, onto the huge screen that took up the entire one wall, allowing Patricia to see what she was seeing.

“Not much. I’ve pulled all the security footage from all subway exits that they could’ve gotten to, but nothing so far. It doesn’t look like they got out that way. I just got the blueprints from the station the explosion happened in, looking now to see if there was another way out that we don’t know about.” Riley informed the boss.

Riley’s worry for her friend made her frustration at the entire situation even worse. She was silently steaming at the fact that Mac had been taken over 36 hours ago and they had only now gotten the blueprints for the subway station where the events took place.

The door slamming open took her eyes off her computer and drew them towards the door. It was Jack, dressed and looking like he was ready to kill someone, even with the large bruise on his forehead and the sling supporting his left arm.

“Jack, what are you doing here? You should still be in the hospital.” Patricia chastised him. The look the soldier gave let Riley know exactly what he response he was going to give the older woman.

“I checked myself out. And I am not leaving until we found my partner and bring him home. What have we got?” Jack unknowingly repeated Patricia’s earlier question.

“A whole lot of nothing. The explosion has the entire city freaking out, including the local police force who are a little ticked off at not being aware there was a possibility that a bomb had been planted and are being very slow to cooperate. And I’m not finding where the terrorists took Mac and exited the tunnels.” Riley explained to Jack.

“Jack, we’ve got every agent, not to mention all the police officers we can get out looking. We will find him. The best thing you can do right now, is go home and get some rest.” Patricia tried to comfort him. It failed.

“I’m not leaving.” Jack told her. His voice left no room for argument.

“Okay, then help Riley go through the blueprints.” Jack knew Patricia was basically giving him the desk job, but if it helped finding Mac, then he was more than willing to do it.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Hours later, Jack threw his empty coffee cup and watched as it shattered against the wall. Riley jumped in shock and looked around before seeing what had happened. In all honesty, she was surprised Jack managed to hold in his frustration as long as he did.

They had been sitting at their respective desks, going over security footage and blueprints for hours, looking for any sigh of MacGyver. Nothing, not even a glimpse.

“We’ll find him.” Riley said, but even she was starting to doubt it. At that moment, Patricia re-entered the room, hearing the shatter of glass.

“You guys need to go get some rest. You’re not going to be any use to Mac if you can’t even keep your eyes open, much less launch a rescue mission when we find him. And we will find him.” Patricia told them.

Jack wanted to argue, but he didn’t have the strength for that argument. His boss would win anyways, plus, his shoulder had been throbbing in pain for a couple of hours already. He didn’t take any of the pain meds the doctor had given him out of fear they would make him pass out.

“Come on, Jack. We’ll start again in the morning.” Riley encouraged him. After Patricia promised them that she would have other agents looking while they were gone, and would inform them of any developments.

Riley had thought Jack, who apparently learned how to drive with one hand, would be taking her home, but instead, they ended up and Mac’s and Bozer’s. It was then Riley realized, that Mac’s best friend and roommate still didn’t know.

“You want to tell him, or should I?” Riley asked. Since Bozer had a crush on her, he might take bad news coming from her better. However, Jack was also friends with the man, and knew him way longer than she did.

“I will, I just,” Jack stopped midsentence. Riley looked over and saw something she knew only Mac could probably do, make Jack lose control of his emotions, as tears were welling up in the soldier’s eyes.

“You don’t want to tell him by yourself. And you won’t.” Riley finished for him. Jack took a few moments to collect himself, and together, they entered the house.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Mac slowly opened his eyes, well, eye. His left one was swollen shut, and he could feel blood running down it from the cut above his eyebrow. He took a shaky breath through his mouth, which he was able to do as the terrorist removed the duct tape when he started the interrogation. Mac winced inwardly when he felt the pain in his ribs.

His abuser had taken his brass knuckles to his face, stomach, and chest. The easiest targets. Mac was pretty sure he had a few broken ribs, and was positive that he had a concussion, especially when he passed out.

“Finally awake I see. You know agent, passing out during a conversation is considered to be very rude.” The thug told him. Mac looked up to see him, very blurry due to his concussion and the fact he only had one eye in use, standing in the doorway. He was the only Nex Cito member in the room, the other two apparently left after Mac had passed out.

“One, not much of conversation if only one person is talking,” Mac pointed out, “And two, kidnapping someone and beating the crap out of them is also considered to be very rude.”

The man gave Mac a sadistic smile, before holding what looked to be a rod or some kind and said, “Very true. Are you ready to talk yet? Or do I get to use this.”

He pressed a button on the rod’s handle, and Mac then realized what it was that his captor was holding. A cattle prod.

“No? Alright then.” The man stuck his head out the door, calling for someone, but Mac didn’t hear who or what his integrator said over the sound of his heart beating.

Normally, he remained cool in situations like this, because he had always known that Jack would come for him, now, he wasn’t so sure. He still had no clue if Jack was even alive or not. While the logical part of his brain told him that the injury he had gotten wasn’t very seriously, the pessimistic part remembered the way his friend looked as he was sprawled on the subway floor, blood soaking his jacket as two pieces of shrapnel lodged in his shoulder.

The sound of more people entering the room drew Mac back to reality. The two men from before had rejoined them. They came over to the chair, untied the rope and pulled him to his feet. They led him to the right side of the room, and undid one of the cuffs.

Usually, that was the point where Mac would try to escape, but the interrogator held up the cattle prod to Mac’s chest, warning him not to try anything. So he stood there and allowed his wrists to get cuffed in front of him, before they lifted his arms up and used the roped to tie the links of the handcuffs to a pipe above Mac’s head that he didn’t notice before.

When they were sure he wouldn’t be able to escape, they two goons left, leaving Mac alone with the third man, who he still didn’t know the identity of. The torturer came over to the agent, swinging the rod in his hand.

“Shall we begin then?”


	4. Not Just a Job

All things considered, Bozer had taken it a lot better than Riley would’ve thought. Oh, he freaked out, had a mild panic attacked and almost passed out. She never thought his accent could get thicker, she was wrong. When Bozer starts panicking, he starts talking as fast as he can, making it that much harder to understand him.

She and Jack managed to get him calmed down though. They promised him that they were doing everything they could to find Mac, and Jack made sure Bozer knew that they would bring him home, alive.

Neither of them wanted to head to their own homes, wanting to be together in case any news came, they decided to stay at Mac’s and Bozer’s. Riley made Jack take the spare room, as he was still healing, and she elected to stay on the couch.

Riley only got about two hours of sleep before the couch became too much for he already sore back. True, she wasn’t in as much pain as Jack probably was, but sitting hunched over a computer for hours didn’t come without its consequences. As she laid there on her friend’s couch, Riley quickly concluded that she was not going to get anymore sleep. She decided to go get her laptop from her bag when she heard a noise in the kitchen.

The hacker stood up, and headed towards the source of the noise. When she entered the room, she wasn’t sure if she should be surprised to see Jack. She didn’t really expect him to get much sleep, if any, with his best friend still missing. But she was fairly certain that she had told him not to touch her stuff, yet there he was, going through her bag that she left in the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Riley asked, feeling a little satisfied that he actually jumped at the sound of her voice. And here she though she didn’t have the power to scare him.

“Looking for your laptop, and the copy of blueprints.” Jack answered once he realized that it was her.

“Why?” Riley pressed, though she already knew the answer.

“Couldn’t sleep. It’s stupid that we’re here, trying to get some shut eye while Mac is still out there somewhere!” Jack defended himself, his voice getting louder with each word he spoke.

“Jack, we aren’t going to be of any help to him if we’re collapsing from exhaustion.” Riley pointed out calmly, not wanting Jack to get any angrier.

“We’re not going to be any help to him if we’re wasting our time sleeping either.” Jack countered, lowering his voice to match hers.

“I know it’s your job to protect Mac, and you take it very seriously, but-”

“IT’S NOT JUST A JOB!” Jack all but yelled at her. Riley flinched, and took a step back. If Bozer wasn’t awake already, he would be now, but Riley didn’t care about that at the moment, because all she could see was the fear and desperation on her friend’s face.

“I don’t protect him just because it’s my job, Riles. I do it because, because he’s my friend. He’s my brother, and I failed him.” Jack’s voice broke, and he slid down to the floor, back against the wall. Riley came over to the man, getting down on her knees beside him.

“You were trying to protect him from the blast Jack, and you got hurt in the process. You did all you could, and wherever he is, I know he doesn’t blame. If anything, he probably feels just as bad as you do, because you got hurt.” Riley informed him. Jack didn’t appear to be listening though, his mind far away.

“Now, let’s get up, and keep looking for our teammate.” That caught his attention. She stood up, held out her hand which he took, and she helped him up, just now noticing that the sling he had been previously wearing was gone. She didn’t question it though. Riley grabbed her bag, pulled out her laptop and headed to the table.

Not long after they started, Bozer came down. Apparently, he had heard them after all. Since it was already crowded around the one screen, he offered to make them food, which both agents greatly appreciated.

After a few hours, Jack stopped her scrolling, and pointed to something on the screen.

“Zoom in there.” He told her. Riley did, and smiled. While the image showed, Mac being dragged to the back of a truck, it gave two of the men’s faces, and the license plate.

“Call Patty, we got him.” Jack told her.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Mac wasn’t sure how long he hung there. It seemed like the interrogation lasted hours. His blue T-shirt that he was wearing was now filled with holes, and burn marks from the cattle prod, not too much drenched in his sweat.

He wondered if anyone was actually coming for him. He knew that Jack would do whatever it takes to come for him, but what if his injury was more serious than he though? What if he was actually dead? What if the Nex Cito members did such a good job of covering their tracks, that by the time Jack got to him, he would already be dead?

Mac shook his head, trying to rid himself of the pessimistic thoughts, but it only resulted in making himself dizzy. D*mn concussion. Taking a deep breath, Mac lifted his fingers, trying to feel the knot that held his cuffed wrists in place. If he could untie the knots, then he would be free from the pipe.

It took a couple of tries, and a lot longer than Mac liked, but finally, the rope fell way and he fell to the floor, his legs weak and shaking the sudden weight that was placed on them.

After a few more moments, Mac stood up. He went to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked, which wasn’t a surprise. He looked around the room, wondering if there was anything he could use to force the door open, but the only thing there was, was the chair he was in before, and a table.

He knew neither of those things could break down a metal door, but they could be used against someone if they were to open the door. Mac grabbed the chair and dragged it off to the side. It was there he waited.

This time, he didn’t have to wait long. The door opened, and before the guard even saw it coming, Mac brought down the wooden chair on his head, which was quite a feat considering that his wrists were still handcuffed together. Unfortunately, the guard wasn’t alone, and the man who had been interrogating him, burst inside, and tackled Mac to the ground.

One kick in the stomach instantly had Mac in a fetal position. And one punch to the face had Mac out like a light.


	5. Tick Tock

Mac slowly opened his eyes. He expected to find himself back in the room where he as held in before, but instead, he was sitting down against a beam, with his hands cuffed behind it. He lifted his head to get a look as to where he was.

It was still the same building, that hadn’t changed. But it looked like he was in a different part of it that he had seen when his captors had dragged him in.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” Mac turned his head to the left, where the voice had come from. He didn’t have to look to know who was speaking, it was the same voice that had been asking him who he was, who he worked for, and what did they all know about the terrorist group.

His interrogator was on his knees, doing something that Mac couldn’t see due to the position the man was in. When the terrorist stood up, the agent saw something that looked like a metal box by a bunch of metal bins, but with his concussion and swollen eye, he couldn’t really make out what it was.

The man came over and crouched down by Mac’s feet, the sadistic grin that he had grown used to seeing was still there.

“I have to admit, I’m surprised that you actually managed to get out in the shape you’re in. You look terrible.” The grin on his face got bigger as he said that, apparently, that was possible.

“But, you still haven’t talked yet, and unfortunately, I don’t have the time to continue my persuasion. And of course, can’t take you with us, just in case you get loose, so our conversations have finally come to an end.” With that, the sadist pulled a small remote out of his pocket and hit a button.

Mac heard a click, and turned his gaze back to the device that his captor had set out. Bright red numbers were counting down from 10 minutes.

“Goodbye Agent.” Having nothing more to say, the terrorist left. Mac was alone, injured, tied up, with bomb that was about to go off.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

“We got the truck! All five Nex Cito members that were in the subway were there. Mac however, is unaccounted for.” Patricia’s voice echoed through Jack’s earpiece.

“Where the h*ll is he, then?” Jack asked, keeping his eyes on the road, and his hands clenched the steering wheel tighter. Riley, who was sitting beside him in the passenger seat, grew even more worried when she heard what Patricia had said through her own earpiece.

“There is security footage that shows the truck parked at an abandoned warehouse for the last few days. If that was there hideout, maybe Mac is still there.” Riley suggested. Jack nodded, and turned off the highway onto the backroad which would take them to the warehouse.

**2016MACGVYER2016**

Mac stared at the bomb and watched the numbers continue counting down. He was pretty sure that the terrorist had purposely picked this way of killing him off out of spite for ruining their plans with the shrapnel bomb.

He tried to get free, unfortunately, that only ended with his wrists bloody, and shoulders burning with the strain they were under. Mac wished he had his watch, but the battery had died, so he left it at home, planning on getting a new one when he got back from this mission. Guess that won’t be happening.

As Mac watched to countdown continue, he wondered if anyone told Bozer about what happened. Now that his roommate knew the truth about what he actually did, he made them all swear that if anything went wrong on their missions, he would know about it. Bozer really was a complete mother hen when he was worried about the people he cared about.

He hoped that Jack was still alive, and that he was okay. Of course, Mac knew that Jack wouldn’t be okay when he learned what happened. Jack took his job of making sure he was safe very seriously, and blamed himself when he wasn’t. He just hoped that Riley and Patricia would take care of him.

Mac turned his thoughts back on the clock. Only three minutes left.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Jack turned the jeep into the parking spot of the warehouse. He and Riley quickly got out, while Patty’s voice came through Jack’s earpiece again, telling him to wait for back up. Jack’s only response to that, was pulling out his gun, and heading towards the building.

“Jack, she said to wait.” Riley reminded him. Jack ignored her and slid the safety off his gun and continued walking. He barely made it two steps before the building exploded.


	6. Sand Through the Hourglass

Jack almost fell to the ground at the force of the blast. Luckily, he managed to balance himself. He looked back towards the warehouse, and saw that it was engulfed in flames.

“Stay here!” The soldier yelled at Riley, and he started running towards the burning building, completely ignoring Riley’s pleas for him to stop.

“Riley! What’s going on?” Patricia demanding voice came through Riley’s earpiece.

“Pretty sure a bomb went off, the entire building’s in flames, and Jack just ran inside.” Riley answered.

“Stay where you are, do not enter. We are on our way, just stay put.”

**2016MACGYVER2016**

“Mac!” Jack yelled as he made his way through the building, trying to avoid the flames. His partner had to be there, the terrorist group wouldn’t have any reason to blow up their old base if they had abandoned it. Unless of course they were trying to get rid of something, or someone.

“MacGyver!” He called out, desperately hoping to hear a voice answer him. Maybe there was, but it couldn’t be heard over the crackling and burning of the fire.

Jack continued through the warehouse. He had no idea which part of the building he was in anymore. The place was big enough with just a ground floor, but it had two other stories that he hadn’t checked yet.

Suddenly, the ceiling above him started creaking and fell. Jack dove to the ground, just out of reach of the falling tiles. As he started getting to his feet, his aching shoulder now hating him for doing that, he saw a pair of boots. He stood up, his eyes following the boots to a pair of legs, leading to Mac, sitting against a beam that was somehow still standing.

“Mac!” Jack moved as quickly as he could to his partner, and kneeled down beside him. Mac’s eyes were closed, left eye swollen, and his face was covered in bruises, dried blood, and ash from the smoke. Jack placed both of his hands on his partner’s neck, holding his head in his hands. He moved his thumb to the position under Mac’s jaw, and felt his pulse. He was still alive.

“Mac? Come on man, wake up.” Jack pleaded, tapping his friend’s face as gently as he could, not wanting to hurt him. Soon, Mac’s eyes started fluttering, and they opened. Blue eyes struggled to focus on Jack.

“Jack?” Mac’s voice was weak, and filled with pain, but Jack smiled anyways.

“Yeah, it’s me bud. Let’s get you out of here, huh?” Jack moved to the other side of the pole, and grimaced. His partner’s wrists were cuffed together tightly, and covered in blood. He slammed the butt of his gun against the chain links, and they busted open, freeing Mac.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Jack told the blonde, as he slid Mac’s arm over his shoulders and helped him stood up.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Riley was still standing by the Jeep, staring at the burning building when Patricia pulled up in an SUV, with two others, and a firetruck following. The boss jumped out and ran to the young hacker.

“Are you alright, Riley?” Patricia asked.

“Yeah, but Jack is still inside, looking for Mac.” Riley explained.

“We’ll get them out.” Patricia told her, and grabbed at her earpiece.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

“-ack, Jack.” The soldier heard his name echoing through the ear piece he had forgotten he was wearing.

“Patty, I found him.” Jack informed his boss, still holding Mac up. The kid was in pretty bad shape. He could barely keep his head up, and sounded as if he was about to cough up a lung.

“Where are you?” Jack looked around, trying to figure out where he was, but the smoke was so thick he couldn’t see clearly.

“I think we’re in the back of the building somewhere.” Jack answered.

“Can’t…… breaking……. stay…….” Patricia’s voice cracked through the device. The smoke was interfering with feed.

Okay, that was bad, Jack realized. He had found his partner, but they were trapped in a burning building, and his commlink wasn’t working with all the smoke. They had to get out. Jack kept walking straight, hoping that it was the same way he had come from.

Unfortunately, the path back, now had a fallen beam that was on fire blocking their way. Jack turned to the left, hoping to be able to go around the burning log, but ended up right against the wall. Turning to the right again, Jack continued supporting Mac, using the wall as a support, and a guide. While the wall might not lead to a door, Jack was hoping to would at least lead to a window.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

“Jack. Jack” Patricia called into her ear piece as the firemen got out their hose, and two more fire trucks and an ambulance pulled into the lot.

“Patty… found him.” She took a breath of relief at hearing that Jack had found their missing friend.

“Where are you?” Patricia asked so she could tell the firemen where to look.

“…think….. back.” Jack’s voice struggled to get through the speaker.

“Jack, I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up. I need you to stay where you are.” Thornton ordered through her earpiece. There was no response except the static of the radio.

“Jack! Jack!” There was no response.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

After walking for a few more minutes, Mac’s legs completely buckled beneath him. Jack tried to hold him up, but the added pressure on his injured shoulder was too much. Slowly, he lowered Mac to the floor, and let him lean against the wall.

“Guess it’s hard to find a way out of a burning building when you’re not the one who set it on fire.” Jack tried to joke. Mac, though obviously very weak, managed to smile.

“You ever gonna let that go?” The younger agent asked.

“Maybe.” Jack replied. Mac suddenly started coughing again. Jack expected it, he was having a hard time keeping from coughing up all the smoke too, but he’s worry increased big time when he saw blood trickling out the side of his mouth.

“We gotta get you out of here.” Jack stated, and moved to lift Mac to his feet again. This time however, Mac pushed him away.

“No, just go. I’m slowing you down. Just get out of here.” Jack scoffed at the thought of leaving his brother behind.

“That’s not happening, kid. We’re going to get out of here.” The older man told the younger agent, and again went to pick him up, when the ceiling behind him crumbled and fell, blocking the path they needed to go.

“Guess we’re not.” Mac observed. Jack turned back to his friend.

“Don’t worry, Riley, Patty, and reinforcements are here. They’ll find us, don’t worry brother.” Jack tried to encourage him. Mac nodded, and his eyes slid closed.

“Mac?” Jack shook the man’s shoulder, but he did not open his eyes, “Oh no, no, no, don’t do this. Come on brother, wake up.” But Mac did not open his eyes.

Jack put his fingers against Mac’s neck and waited. He still had a pulse. The soldier pulled Mac away from the wall and let the blonde’s head rest on his lap as he pulled off his jacket.He placed the coat over Mac’s face, trying to keep his friend from breathing in more smoke.

Jack leaned his back against the wall. There was nothing else he could do. They were both injured, trapped in a burning building, and had no way of contacting Patty to tell her where they were. Unless…

The soldier turned agent pulled his gun out of his belt, where he had put it after breaking Mac’s cuffs. If he shot the gun a few times, maybe the agents would be able to hear it, and find them. Jack lifted his gun and fired two shots.

Jack continued to fire, until the inevitable happened. He ran out of bullets. He dropped the gun and turned his attention back to the agent who was still unconscious. Jack ran his fingers through Mac’s blonde hair and let the exhaustion that he had been fighting finally claim him. He didn’t even hear the firemen call out, “They’re over here!”


	7. If I Could Turn Back Time

Bozer sat on the chair in the waiting room of the hospital. Riley was sitting beside him, and was squeezing his hand. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve been feeling ecstatic that Riley would hold his hand, but this weren’t normal circumstances. Both of their friends were currently in surgery.

When Riley called him, and told what had happened, Bozer had rushed over. He was pretty sure he broke every single traffic law in the process, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was getting to the hospital, getting to his best friend.

Riley and Bozer had been waiting for an hour when Patricia came over to the pair, who immediately stood up.

“Jack is out of surgery. He tore the stitches in his shoulder and inhaled a lot of smoke, but he’s okay. He’s still unconscious, though the doctor said he will probably wake up soon.” Patricia informed her newest recruits.

“What about Mac?” Bozer asked.

“Still in surgery. His doctor said that,” Patricia looked like it actually hurt to finish the sentence, “Mac has at least 8 broken ribs, which ended up puncturing his lung, massive internal bleeding, major concussion, a few first degree burns and inhaled far too much smoke, much more than Jack.”

Bozer felt his legs shaking and sat back down on the chair to hide the fact he was about to fall. Breathing seemed like a difficult task. He barely heard Riley and Patricia talking.

Next thing he knew was that Riley was kneeling in front of him. Her hand rested on his shoulder.

“I’m going to go wait with Jack, since he’ll wake up soon. Do you want to come, or are do you want wait here?” Riley asked, her voice soft.

“I’ll wait here.” Bozer decided. Riley stood up and went over to Patricia. After their boss promised to tell Riley when Mac got out of surgery, the hacker went to the soldier’s room. Patricia came over and sat down beside Bozer. There was nothing left to do but wait.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

It had been 77 hours since Mac left on his mission with Jack and Riley. 16 hours since Bozer learned that Mac was missing. 9 hours since Riley and Jack had found the clue they needed to find their missing friend. 6 hours since Riley called Bozer and told him that Jack and Mac were in the hospital, and 5 hours since Riley went to stay with Jack.

Finally, after waiting in the hospital for almost 7 hours, the doctor came out to see Mrs. Thornton and Bozer. The conversation was short, as neither really cared for the specifics of what the doctor had to do to fix the young agent. All they cared about, was if Mac was alive, and if he was going to be okay.

The answer was not as good as Bozer had been hoping. The doctor assured them that Mac was alive, and he was very positive that the agent would be okay. However, he was still in very serious condition. He had lost a lot of blood, the air he did manage to get to his lungs despite all the damage was practically pure smoke, and he wasn’t breathing on his own.

Less than five minutes later, Bozer found himself entering Mac’s hospital room in the ICU. Patricia had gone to check on Jack and to tell Riley what the doctor had said.

Mac was lying flat out on the hospital bed. The doctor said it was to help with his blood flow, as he had lost so much they wanted to make sure it was getting to his organs. There were at least three IV’s in arms, and one going directly into his chest.

There was one large tube going into his friend’s mouth, giving him precious oxygen, the entire left side of Mac’s face was bruised, his eye so swollen. There were bandages wrapped around his wrists, spots of blood ruined the perfect white of the gaze, and there were bruises in the shapes of hands around his arms. That was all Bozer could see of his friend’s injuries, and it was more than enough.

Bozer felt a sudden need to run, to deny any of this was happening, but he was frozen in his spot in the doorway. If the doctor wasn’t behind him, he probably would’ve stood there for the entire time.

“Are you alright sir?” The doctor asked, putting in his hand on Bozer’s shoulder. Bozer nodded, and entered the room. He made his way over to the chair by Mac’s bedside and sat down. The minute he is sitting, he grabs the blonde’s hand, and holds it tightly.

After a few minutes, Patricia comes into the room. She actually pauses in shock at the appearance of the young man. True, she had seen him in pretty bad situations, but nothing like this. Quickly though, she regained her composure and went over to Bozer.

“Mac’s tough. He’ll be okay.” She tried to reassure the newest member of the time. Bozer however, didn’t look very convinced.

“This time, maybe. But what about next time? How many times has he gotten hurt working for you? How many injuries did he get that you all hid from me? How much longer will it be until he comes back in a body bag?” Bozer asked.

Patricia didn’t say anything. Yes, Bozer was brought into the foundation by chance, and an assassin, but once the shock wore off, the man seemed beyond excited at the idea of being a spy. Now though, he just learned the real risks of the job, the reality of all the things that could happen.

“You’ve known Mac your entire life Bozer. Do you really think he’d rather stay safe on the sidelines when he could have the chance to help someone?” At that, Patricia left the room.

Bozer knew she was right, helping people was a big part of who Mac was, and he couldn’t ask his friend to give that up. He loved this job, he loved helping people, and protecting his country. And while Bozer was now beyond grateful he now knew the truth and could help the team, he really wished he didn’t know right not. If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t know that Mac was in the hospital. He wouldn’t even know what happened, what he went through, and wouldn’t be living in fear that Mac could die.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

For the second time in less than a week, Jack woke up in a hospital. He really had to break that record. He hated hospitals as much as Mac did most of the time. And just like last time, Riley was sitting beside him, waiting for him to wake up.

“Hey man. How are you feeling?” The young woman asked.

“I’m fine. Throat and shoulder are a little sore though.” Jack answered, looking at the sling that had been put on, holding his left arm securely. Talking hurt a bit, he must’ve breathed in a lot of smoke.

“Yeah, the doctor said you got a lot of smoke in you, not to mention the fact you pulled out all of your stitches. But you’ll be okay.” Riley informed him. She picked up a cup with a straw from the table that was pushed against the wall. After putting the straw right in front of Jack’s lips, he took a large gulp before asking the all important question.

“How’s Mac?”

“Still in surgery.” Riley barely finished her sentence before the door opened and Patricia Thornton entered the room.

“Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Mac?” Jack had to know if his partner, was okay. The look Patty gave him made his worry increase tremendously.

His boss came around to the other side, and then started talking. As she listed all the injuries his best friend had sustained, how bad he was, how he was in the ICU, and how the doctor didn’t know if he would actually pull through, Jack felt his heart and stomach drop all the way to his feet. Without thinking, the solider turned agent moved to sit up.

Patty and Riley seemed to expect it though, cause they were immediately pushing him back down on the bed.

“I know you want to go be with Mac, but Bozer is there with him, and you need rest. You barely slept at all the last few days, your injured and exhausted. Try to get some more rest, then I will talk to the doctor about you going to see Mac, okay?” Jack wanted to argue, but he knew that he wouldn’t win. Not to mention that she was right about his exhaustion. He was already started to pass out again.

As the darkness started to claim him again, all he could think about was regret. He should’ve gone faster to get to the building before it exploded. He should’ve had Riley get the blueprints to the warehouse so he could’ve gotten Mac out faster.

He should’ve been more careful in the subway. If he hadn’t been injured in the first place, he could’ve protected his partner, his brother, and stop him from ever getting kidnapped. But he didn’t, and now Mac was lying in the ICU, needing a machine to help breathe. It was all his fault.


	8. The Waiting Game

When Jack woke up for the second time, he knew he had slept for far longer than he had intended. It only took one look at Riley, passed out in the chair beside him to confirm that. He tried to sit up, he wanted to go see Mac. He had followed Patty’s orders, he had gotten rest, more than he needed, and was beyond ready to see his friend. Unfortunately, his sore body disagreed with him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jack looked up to see none other than Patricia Thornton standing in the doorway. Figures she would be the one to catch him. Not only did she do that, her voice was loud enough to wake Riley, who was immediately at his side, pushing him back down on the bed.

“I followed your rules didn’t I. I went to sleep, slept longer than needed. I’m fine, okay? I need to see Mac.” Jack explained. Riley and Patty exchanged looks before the boss turned back to Jack.

“I’ll go get the doctor, and if he agrees, we will take you to see Mac.” Patricia agreed. Just as she turned to head out the door, Riley called out.

“How is he by the way?” Patricia looked back at the two agents with a concerned yet regretful look on her face.

“The same. Bozer’s still with him. I’ll go find the doctor.” With that being said, Patricia existed the room.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

20 minutes later, Jack found himself walking towards the ICU, both Patty and Riley beside him. Apparently, this would also be the first time Riley would be seeing Mac as well. As Jack walked down the hallway, he found himself beyond grateful that someone thought ahead enough to get him some actual clothes. He hated wearing hospital gowns, and was far more comfortable in his T-shirt and sweats.

The path to Mac’s room felt like it wouldn’t end, but when it finally did, Jack wished he was still walking.

He could see his best friend through the glass window in the door. Mac was lying on the hospital bed, in a hospital gown with tubes everywhere. Three going into his arms, one looked to be going right into his chest, and one was in his mouth. He heard a gasp, and craned his head to the left to see Riley, holding her hand up to her lips.

Jack looked back at the door, and pushed it open. Bozer, who Jack didn’t actually notice, jumped from the chair he was sitting in and looked at them.

“You doing okay Jack?” The man asked, taking in the bruises, sling, and way he was holding himself, as though he was in pain.

“I’m fine. Any change yet?” Jack asked, hoping that there had been some good news since Patty’s update, but Bozer shook his head. The soldier nodded, and sat down on the other chair on Mac’s other side. He settled in, knowing he wasn’t going to be leaving for a while.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

After about five hours of waiting, Jack could feel himself start to nod off. He shook his head and sat up straighter. He couldn’t fall asleep, he had to stay awake in case Mac woke up.

“Jack, why don’t you go get some sleep?” Bozer suggested. He was the only other person in the room, as Patty and Riley left to go get some food that was not from the cafeteria.

“No, I’m fine.” Jack told him. They sat in silence for another few minutes before Jack spoke.

“Are you alright Bozer?” Bozer didn’t say anything, but lowered his head.

“I just, I just hate seeing him like this. He’s a good kid, he shouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed.” Jack was about to respond, but Bozer actually got off the chair, started pacing, and kept talking.

“I mean, what the h*ll Jack? How could this have happened? Why did he get mixed up in this in the first place? And why the h*ll did I also get dragged into it too? I was perfectly fine with not knowing.” Bozer ranted.

“You know Mac is capable of doing better things than working in a think tank, you’ve known that all along. And we did try to keep this all from you, and trust me, Mac never wanted to bring you in on this. We only did, because an assassin showed up at your house. And I don’t remember you being too happy that we kept this secret from you.” Jack pointed out.

“Well, I wasn’t. I hated that you guys were lying to me, but at least I wasn’t aware about any of this!” Bozer yelled, “At least I didn’t know how often that my best friend almost died.”

Bozer’s voice got quieter at that last sentence, and he sat back down in his chair. Despite how loud Bozer was, Mac didn’t open his eyes, didn’t so much as twitch. And Jack didn’t know really what to say, until he saw the tears starting to run down his cheeks.

“Boz, I know this has to be hard for you, realizing what it we actually do, the risks we take, but you and I both know, that he would gladly take those risks for the safety of others. And I know, you hate knowing about the dangers of this job, but I think it’s been better for Mac, now that you know.” Jack told him, and Bozer looked up at him.

“What do you mean?” Bozer asked.

“Now that you are aware about what we do, you know the truth about Nikki, about all the things we’ve seen, had to do. You’re right, he is a kid. If it were up to me, he wouldn’t be doing any of this. All of these things we do, especially everything going on with Nikki, it’s hard for him. Sooner or later, it’s going to catch up to him. The more friends that are there for him, the better.” Jack explained.

“Besides,” Jack continued, “normally this shouldn’t have happened. It’s my job to keep him safe, my job to keep him out of trouble. This, this is on me.”

Jack looked down at his lap. Bozer was silent for a moment. The moment was long enough to make Jack think Bozer was agreeing with him, which added to his guilt. But what Bozer said next surprised him.

“No, it’s not.” Jack looked up to see Bozer staring at him, his face and voice showing no anger, or blame.

“The only guilty party in this, are the men who did this, to him and to you. And I know, Mac doesn’t blame you either. So don’t blame yourself.” Bozer told him. Jack nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Bozer was about to say that he knew Jack didn’t believe him, but at that moment, Riley and Patricia came in with Chinese takeout bags. They all settled in to eat, and continued watching their friend.


	9. Awakening

Mac felt himself rise to the surface of consciousness very slowly. At first, it was the feeling of sheets under his fingers, then it was something soft under his head. The sound of a steady beeping came next. What really caught his attention enough to actually make him want to wake up, was the feeling of something blocking his airway even though he could feel the oxygen running into his lungs.

So, slowly and weakly, Mac forced his eyelids open. His vision was blurry at first, but it gradually started to clear up. He could see bright lights above him, the top of an IV pole filled with bags at the edge of his vision.

He moved his eyes around because he knew he didn’t have the strength to move his head. The first thing he did, was try to see what was in his mouth, though he had a pretty good idea. Sue enough, Mac could see a clear tube sticking out of his mouth. That was not good.

While he knew that he could breath, he couldn’t help the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He had been injured before, but never bad enough to wake up to a tube helping him breath.

“Mac?” The blonde felt an immense relief at hearing the voice beside him, Jack’s voice. The older agent’s face suddenly appeared in Mac’s line of vision. He could see the wide smile on Jack’s face, and the bruise on his forehead. The young man tried to open his mouth to ask his friend if he was alright, but was quickly reminded of the obstruction in his throat.

“Mac! You’re awake.” Bozer’s face came into Mac’s view as soon as he heard his roommate’s voice. Bozer also had a giant smile on his face, though Mac could see the worry in his eyes.

“Easy kid. Just hang tight, I’ll go get the doctor.” With that sentence, Jack disappeared. Bozer leaned closer, and Mac felt a hand grab his, squeezing it tightly. Mac tried to squeeze back, but could barely wrap his fingers around Bozer’s hand. Bozer apparently could tell what Mac was trying to do, and gave him a reassuring look.

It didn’t take long for Jack to return with not only the doctor in tow, but also Riley and Patricia. The doctor decided that mac’s lungs were strong enough to breath on his own, and removed the tube, but put nasal canal around Mac’s face and into his nose to help him, as his lungs were still very weak from his injuries and the smoke.

After giving very strict orders to move as little as possible to Mac, and to let his patient rest and not agitate him to the others, the doctor left, reminding them to press the call button if they needed him.

“How’re you feeling Mac?” Riley asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Mac opened his mouth to response, yet could barely let out a croak. Jack seemed to predict this, because there was suddenly a cup with a straw just under his mouth.

Mac was about to sit up to drink, but Jack already slipped his other arm under Mac’s shoulder and held him up while turning the cup in the other hand so Mac could reach it. He did, and the minute the straw was in his mouth, he took a long gulp.

Unfortunately, the sudden cold and wetness of the liquid coming down his dry throat so fast caused a coughing fit. Mac was lifted up farther, so it would be easier for him to breathe. Once the fit stopped, Jack lowered the injured agent back down on the bed.

“I’m good. You okay Jack?” Mac finally asked the question that he had wanted to ever since the bomb blew up in the subway station.

“Yeah kid, I’m good. You were a lot more hurt than me. Just have to the best at everything, don’t ya.” Jack joked. While he had a smile on his face, Mac could read the concern and fear in the older agent’s eyes like an open book. He had scared the man far more than Jack was comfortable with. As Mac looked around at all of his coworkers’ faces, he knew he had scared them all.

“Sorry.” Mac said sincerely.

“Don’t worry about that now. You just get your rest. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Jack told the younger man.

“You're d*mn right we’ll be here. Well, maybe not Jack, as he’s still a patient, and should still be wearing his sling.” Bozer informed his roommate. Jack looked over at Bozer as if the man had just betrayed him, which in a way, he had.

“Patient, sling? Are you sure you’re okay?” Mac asked for reassurance.

“I got some stitches in my arm. The sling is just to help keep them from tearing. But I’m fine, and I’ll be discharged tomorrow. Now you, get some sleep. You need it.” Jack ordered. Mac wanted to protest, but the exhaustion he had been fighting since he first opened his eyes was starting to pull him under, not to mention the effect the painkillers he had coursing through his veins had on him.

So, Mac closed his eyes and let the world around him fall away.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Jack watched his friend close his eyes and fall back into a, hopefully peaceful, slumber. He went to sit back down on the chair he had occupied earlier, but was stopped by his boss.

“Jack, you need to go back to your own room. You need your rest too.” Patty told him. Jack was about to argue, when Patty threatened to get not only the doctor, but also her own agents if he didn’t go of his own free will.

Very reluctantly, Jack followed the boss out of ICU room to his own hospital room. Riley took Jack’s spot in the free chair by Mac’s side. Bozer sat back down in the other one on their friend’s other side.

“You okay Boz?” Riley asked. She had not actually talked to him alone since they sat in the waiting room while both Jack and Mac had been in surgery. Bozer looked completely worn out, not that she was one to judge. She knew she couldn’t look much better than he did. If anything, she probably looked worse due to her make up being smudged from tears and constantly being rubbed.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little tired.” Bozer answered, running his hand over his mouth to cover a yawn.

“Why don’t you take a page out of Jack’s book and get some sleep. I’ll watch Mac.” Riley offered, but Bozer was already shaking his head before she even finished her sentence.

“No, I’m fine. Besides, you haven’t gotten any sleep either. It’s not fair for me to get some rest when you haven’t had any.” Bozer reasoned. Riley couldn’t really argue with that. While she also wanted to get some sleep, she didn’t want to leave Bozer alone. And she was still very worried about Mac.

The coughing, practically hacking fit, he had worried her. She didn’t like that sound of it, nor did she like the look of pain on his face when he finally caught his breath. So, Riley stayed where she was, as did Bozer. They didn’t last very long though. Seeing Mac wake up, breathing on his own, and hearing his voice had given them a sense of relief, enough for them to finally fall asleep on the uncomfortable chairs by Mac’s side.


	10. When It's All Said and Done

Jack was indeed released the day after Mac had woken up. The minute he was discharged, Jack made it perfectly clear to Patty that she couldn’t keep him away from his best friend. She had nothing to hold over him anymore. Mac on the other hand, was kept in the hospital for another 9 days. The doctor originally wanted to keep him for two weeks, but after Mac’s fourth escape attempt, decided that Mac was well enough to continue healing at home.

Mac was now currently sitting in the back seat of Jack’s car. Bozer sat in the front, and Riley sat beside Mac. He hadn’t said a word since they left the hospital. He just silently stared out the window, watching the world pass by. He was completely oblivious of the fact that his friends were all shooting concerned looks at him. His mind was completely numb, for once, he had no thoughts or ideas running through his head and he enjoyed it because he had no idea how long it would last.

It was only a matter of time before the memories and emotions he had over the last few weeks would hit him, and they would hit hard. For the moment though, Mac felt completely detached from the world, almost like he didn’t belong in it anymore. He wondered if this feeling was a version of survivor’s guilt.

He knew that usually people get survivor’s guilt when they’re in a situation that someone else, or multiple people die while one, or more live. They feel guilty because they don’t understand why those people died but they lived. Mac had it during the three months he thought Nikki had died, before he knew the truth. In this situation though, no one died, everyone made it out alive, even the bad guys. So why did Mac feel this way? He didn’t understand.

Emotions were always a hard thing for Mac to understand. He was a scientist, he solved everything with logic, and experiments. He used reason, common sense, and usually some tinfoil or paperclip to get his job down. The emotional side of it though, that had no logic, no sense of reason. Emotions had a mind of their own and they didn’t care if they went against the rules of logic and common sense.

As Jack pulled the car into the driveway, he shot another look at his review mirror. Mac still sat in the exact same position since climbing into the car. He had his elbow on the door’s armrest, chin resting on his fist, and that faraway look in his eyes as he stared out the window. Jack could also see that Riley still hadn’t taken her eyes off him.

While Riley may have been the newest member of their friend circle, she had learned the unspoken rule very quickly: Mac needs to be watched and protected at all costs, because he won’t acknowledge when he’s hurt and will throw himself under the bus to save anyone and everyone he can. Mac may be the brains of their group, but he was also the heart of it too.

Bozer kept turning in his seat every five minutes to look at his roommate and best friend since childhood. Mac didn’t seem to hear him, or sense his friend’s eyes on him. Even Riley, who was sitting beside him and never took her eyes off him, he ignored, or didn’t notice. Bozer wondered what was going through Mac’s head.

When they were kids, and Bozer realized how much information was actually in Mac’s head, he wasn’t sure if he ever really wanted to know what Mac was thinking. Now, he’d give anything to know what was going on inside Mac’s head.

Mac was startled out of his reverie when Jack stopped the car. It was then that he realized they were home. Mac got out of the car silently, pushing away Jack’s hand that offered to help him. He made his way to the door and entered the apartment. He didn’t look around, instead, went straight for the couch. Even though it was a very short walk, his ribs had started throbbing almost immediately, and he quickly felt out of breath.

The minute he sat on the couch, Bozer was in front of him, putting pillows all around him to make sure he was comfortable.

“Do you need anymore pillows? How about a blanket? Are you hungry? Never mind answering that cause I’m going to make all of your favorites, okay?” Bozer was speaking so fast, Mac could barely keep up with him and the next thing he knew, his friend was out of the room and in the kitchen.

Jack came over with a thin blanket and wrapped it around Mac’s shoulders.

“You know I’m fine right? You don’t need to baby me.” Mac told the former soldier with amusement. Jack didn’t say anything, but pulled the blanket tightly around his friend’s shoulder, and Mac grabbed Jack’s wrist.

“I don’t blame you, for any of this. You know that, don’t you? There wasn’t anything you could do.” Mac said to the older agent. Jack sighed, and sat down on the couch beside him.

“It’s my job to protect you, kid. My fault or not, I didn’t do it, and I can’t just, forget that.” Jack tried to explain. After a moment, Mac responded.

“I know, but you know you can’t protect me from everything, no matter how much you might want to. I’m not saying you have to like it, but you have to accept it.”

“I guess. But are you sure that you’re okay?” Jack pressed.

“I will be. Don’t worry, soon I’ll be back out in the field.” Mac replied.

“Not going to be that soon from the way Patty was talking. And when you do, note that I’m not letting you out of my sight for awhile, if ever.” Jack informed the younger agent, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“I would expect anything else from you.”

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Mac soon fell asleep on the couch while waiting for Bozer to finish cooking. Jack entered the kitchen, and was immediately confronted by Riley who was helping the cook.

“How’s he doing?” Riley asked.

“Good, I think. He’s asleep right now, which is good. How long until the food is finished? I’m starving for something that’s actually edible, unlike that awful hospital cafeteria food.” Jack said his thoughts out loud.

“Food will be ready in about, another half an hour.” Riley answered before asking again, “Are you sure he’s okay?”

“Physically, yes. Mentally, well that’s why he’s got us. You can go check for yourself.” Jack pointed out.

“I’m not really good at the whole, talking about your feelings kinda thing.” Riley confessed as she went back to prepping the food.

“I know.” Jack left it at that.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

Mac tossed and turned on his bed painfully. It was well past midnight, but he had long since given up the hope that he would get any sleep. Even the nap he had taken on the couch while waiting for Bozer to finish cooking, was small, and not very restful. Jack and Riley had stuck around for awhile after that. None of his three friends seemed very willing to let him out of their sight, but eventually, Jack and Riley left.

Before they did however, Riley came up to him, wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders and hugged him, saying, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He knew that for Riley, admitting that was hard. The hacker tended to be very closed off, and tried to keep any emotion she was feeling at bay. He expected as much when he heard about her past. So her saying that was more than Mac could ever expect, as it was her way of admitting that she cared, and he knew that can be a hard thing when so many people have hurt you.

Bozer on the other hand, had not really said anything about what had happened or what was going on with him. He kept himself busy all day, which greatly concerned Mac. His friend was not really one to shy away from saying what exactly was on his mind, and the fact that he appeared to be doing just that, told Mac that Bozer was beyond freaked out.

Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the living room. Mac pulled himself up off the bed and left his room to check it out.

He found his roommate sitting on the couch, with his computer on his lap, pressing the keys hard enough that Mac was worried they’d fall off.

“What are you doing?” Bozer nearly dropped the laptop. Apparently, he had not heard Mac come in.

“Nothing, just working on editing my latest video is all. What are you doing up?” Bozer turned the attention away from him.

“Couldn’t sleep.” Mac answered as he came and sat down beside his roommate.

“What’s your new film about?” Mac questioned after a few moments of silence.

“Oh, it’s just another monster one. You know, evil monster created in lab, attacks town, group of people get work together to defeat it.” Bozer replied, keeping his eyes on the computer screen.

“I know your videos are important to you Boz, but I don’t remember you ever staying up this late working on them.” Mac stated. Bozer stopped typing, and stared down at his hands.

“What’s going Bozer? Talk to me.” Mac asked.

“When Jack and Riley first told me that you were taken, I felt like I was losing my mind. I couldn’t think straight. Then, when Riley called me, telling me you were found, but in the hospital, I thought my chest was going to explode. And after seeing you in that hospital bed, needing a tube in order to breathe, all I could think about was how much I wished I didn’t know the truth. That I didn’t know what you actually did.

“When you were in the army, I was in a constant state of worrying. When got back, and told me you were working for a think tank, while I knew you could do better things, I was so happy that you weren’t doing anything dangerous. When that assassin showed up, I was too busy being mad at you to realize what all was actually going on. Then after I joined you guys, all I could think was ‘This is awesome! We’re spies!’. I didn’t realize all the risks that came with that, didn’t realize that this job was just as dangerous, maybe even more, than the army. And I wished I could forget that, cause now, whenever you go on missions, all I’ll be thinking about is whether or not you’ll come back.”

Mac sat there in silence as Bozer finally told him what was all going on. He couldn’t think of anything to say. For so long, keeping his job a secret was to protect his friend, that was that Mac had been thinking about. When Bozer learned the truth, he was still worried his friend’s safety. He knew that there would be a bit of trust loss, but he didn’t think about the effects of knowing how dangerous the job was.

Before Mac could say anything though, Bozer continued, “Then, I realized, how much harder it had to have been for you. Not just keeping your real job a secret, but going out there, doing the dangerous stuff, risking your life to save others, and live with the fact that you might not succeed. I saw how you were after Nikki died, or, when you thought she was dead. And I realized, that because I didn’t know, I couldn’t be there for you the way you needed me too.”

“Boz, you’ve always been there for me. You’ve been my best friend since we were kids, through it all, you always stuck by my side. Just because you didn’t know what I do, doesn’t mean you didn’t help me get through it. Just being able to come home, a place that was safe, where things could be normal was enough, and you were a big part of that. And I’m sorry that I scared you, I never wanted to do that. But sometimes, stuff like this does happen. My job is dangerous.” Mac told him.

“Yeah, I know that now. I also know that you love this job, and there is nothing I could do to make you find another is there?” Bozer wondered. Mac smirked, and shook his head.

“Figured. So, if you are going to keep doing this, then know that I will be right here, helping you in any way I can.” Bozer revealed. Mac smiled at him, with tears prickling his eyes. The blonde leaned forward and gave his friend a hug.

**2016MACGYVER2016**

_8 weeks later…_

“Alright Patty. I’m in position. Ready to head to the house on your orders.” Jack’s voice came through Patricia’s head piece.

“Good. Riley, what about you?” Patricia asked through her mic as she stared up at the screen at headquarters which showed a map of their target. She was alone in the office. Jack was in position behind the trees ready to make his way into the house, and Riley should be in the bus with Bozer, if everything was going according to plan.

“All set and ready to go. Bozer wants to know when he gets his own headpiece, by the way.” Riley mentioned.

“When he is actually cleared for field work. If it were up to me, Bozer wouldn’t even be there.” Patricia responded. While having Bozer on the team may make it easier as there was one less person to keep secrets from, he was a bit annoying when it came to the actual job.

“MacGyver? How about you?” Patricia asked the remaining member of the team. After a moment of silence, Mac’s voice came through.

“I’m in position. Everybody else ready?”

“Indeed we are. You have a go. be careful.” Patricia cautioned them.

“Oh come on Thornton, when are we ever not careful?” The boss decided not to reply as she knew they didn’t have time to list all the times the team was not so very careful.

From his position near the front entrance, Mac could barely see Jack’s elbow from behind the tree. He turned his head to the left, and could see the back end of the van where Riley and Bozer were currently waiting. After 6 weeks on medical leave, and another 2 on desk duty, Mac was glad to be back out in the field.

Bozer, true to his word, stayed by Mac’s side through everything. Through exercising so he could get his strength back, through all the nightmares and sleepless nights, as well as making sure he actually went to his check ups. He and Jack totally double teamed him on that. Whenever Mac just needed a break from Bozer’s smothering, Jack and Riley were there. True, Jack still smothered him a little, but knew when to push, and when not to.

It took a little while for Mac to stop wondering how on earth he survived, and to just be grateful that he did though. He acted like everything was fine, hoping the feeling would just go away, but it didn’t. Jack was the one who helped with that.

_The two agents were sitting on the couch watching a movie. Mac was so zoned out he didn’t hear what movie was actually playing. Finally, Jack paused the film and turned to look at him. When he asked what was wrong, Mac answered him honestly, told him that he didn’t understand how or why he survived, that he felt like he shouldn’t have._

_Jack didn’t say anything for awhile, but then replied, “You know, sometimes survivor’s guilt can stay with us for awhile. Even though we know Nikki’s alive and everything, what you went through probably brought back all those old feelings. And as to why you survived, well for one, I rescued you, that’s why. But for the whole mental and emotional side of it, we don’t always know why things happen, but, they do happen for a reason. So you can either wait for the answer to appear, or could try and make sure your survival means something.”_

After that discussion, Mac knew that his ‘big brother’ was right. As he kept Jack’s advice in mind, the feeling slowly started disappearing. Soon, everything was back to normal, especially when Thornton decided he was well enough to get back in the field.

Mac shook himself out of his memories and back to the house, where one of their agents was currently being held by a rogue military general.

“All right everyone, let’s do this.” 


End file.
